Fallacy
by BloomRay
Summary: Three years have passed since the Avatar's defeat and the Fire Nation's victory in the war. Katara and a handful of survivors have sought refuge amongst the ruins of the Western Air Temple. That is, until someone shows up. A very unwelcome someone, as it so happens. AU.
1. The Discovery

_Aloha, everybody!_

_So back-tracking on any statement I may have made about not writing multi-chapter fics for its time consumption blah blah, I became an absolute hypocrite when a story niggled in my head and just wouldn't get out. So voila, the beginning of what I hope to be a half-decent product of my procrastination!_

_Happy reading, folks._

_**Edit:** I had a friend look over this recently, and something they said struck me so much so that I thought I should mention it here. I'm well aware of how regressing Zuko to his Season 1 personality might turn-off some readers as it's highly OOC, but I promise I'm trying my best to make it seem as reasonable as possible plot-wise. I ask for an open mind and the creative freedom with the characters - and hopefully, this might become something that matches up to the welcomely high standards of the fandom! _

**_Disclaimer: _**_A__ll recognisable characters/places/speeches do not belong to me._

* * *

Silent, soft, swift – she snuck out, stepping around the sleeping figures cautiously.

The daybreak draft whipping through the open chambers sent a shiver through her, and she bit her tongue to stop her teeth chattering. Even after she climbed the steep cliff face and clambered into the wilderness above, not a sound escaped.

They had survived for three years after their lost war. She wasn't about to blow their cover now in carelessness. You never knew who was around.

The Western Air Temple was their ruined sanctuary. What was not destroyed by the Fire Nation attack a century ago was overrun by possessive vines and branches, latching onto walls and creeping along the many floors like a silent fog. The frequent streaks of black and destroyed statues served as a reminder that this refuge, this asylum, had also been tainted by the burning world. That they could not stay here and still be safe.

But they had been, for so long now. It was wreck, but it was well hidden, under a cliff where no one would care to look. Who could survive in such conditions? In this sinking temple that belonged more to the nature around it than the people who built it?

They had come, once. Many months ago, Toph had felt the incoming footsteps of wandering Fire Nation soldiers. Or perhaps they were refugees, like themselves. It didn't matter. They had retreated to the lowest level of the temple; to a secret room Toph and Haru had made in the cliff face for emergencies. She remembered gripping Sokka's hand and listening oh so intently and waiting, waiting, waiting. That was the hardest part.

Eventually, the footsteps faded away. No one came after that.

* * *

They had run out of food. Someone had to gather it.

Katara crouched amongst the bushes, pausing to listen before darting across the forest floor. She went by her familiar route, one that led to a small meadow of fruit and vegetables. Ducking under low branches, leaping over toppling rocks, the only sound of the rising morning were the twitters of the birds and groaning of the trees as it awoke for another day.

Reaching the clearing, she took one quick look around. Trees burst in thick brown and green batches, overflowing with apples and oranges and at their base, clumps of bushes riddled with berries (some poisonous, she had figured out). Opening her rucksack, she grabbed as much food as she could carry and threw it in. She'd count it later.

Moving along, Katara hoisted the bag – happily heavier – onto her shoulder, and circled aimlessly around the cluster of trees two, three, four times. A ritual she had adopted, in case someone was following her, each round faster than the last. When she heard nothing out of the ordinary, she left. There was one more protocol before she could return.

* * *

_"You kids have to leave. You have to escape together. Appa's been injured, so you may have to dig yourselves out of the city. I trust our earthbenders are capable enough. Make sure you aren't followed. We'll distract the soldiers long enough for you to get away, but you must leave immediately."_

_"What? We can't leave you behind –"_

_"There's no time, Katara! As long as you and Sokka are still fighting, we still have a chance. You'll find Aang, I know it."_

_She gazed up at the worn face of her father, blood damp on his shoulder. Her heart hammered in her chest as he enveloped her in a hug, giving her a pained smile._

_"He's still alive, Katara. You have to believe it. It isn't over, yet. We'll see each other again, I promise."_

_I hope you're right._

* * *

There it was. The tallest tree in the forest.

Dropping the bag softly near the base, Katara began to climb.

She did this every time she came out. It was ridiculous and hopeless and in another life, another world, probably romantic – in an insane sort of way.

But this was her life and her crumbling world and she didn't climb for a true love but for a semblance of freedom to feed a growing desperation.

She finally reached the top, breathing in the warm air and basking in the first rays of the sun. Her eyes roamed around the roof of the forest, skimming over the lush greenery before flicking up to a serene (empty) blue sky. And for a moment – just a moment – she let herself imagine she was soaring through the clouds on a sky bison with a laughing airbender. Free.

It was ridiculous and hopeless and desperate but she needed this moment.

* * *

_"AANG!"_

_She saw the lightening hit his back and his convulsion, but her thoughts were drowning together into one word._

_No._

_Ignoring the horde of Dai Li surrounding her, Katara swept a wave of water to ride towards the tumbling Avatar. She pressed forward with arms outstretched, just managing to catch his limp body._

_No._

_"You've got to get out of here!" a voice called to her, distant. "I'll hold them off as long as I can!"_

_But Aang wouldn't make it. No, no she had to stay and heal him._

_"What are you doing? You must leave immediately!"_

_The water from the Spirit Oasis. It glowed under her shaking fingers. This had to work. He had to live. He had to. He couldn't die. Not yet. Not yet._

_"Get the waterbender! Forget the traitor!"_

_A rock collided with her chest and threw her back, the wind escaping her lungs in a rush. She crashed into the wall and fell in a heap, her vision exploding from the pain at the back of her head. Vaguely, she made out a figure in front of her, encased in crystals. She tried to move – she really did – but her body refused to cooperate._

_Aang._

_"Well, wasn't that fun? Grab the traitor and the Avatar and follow me. His pathetic followers must be around here somewhere. Find and end them. Zuzu, be a good boy and take care of the peasant for me. I would do it myself but I'd rather not soil my hands again. Decent manicures are just _so _difficult to get these days."_

_Aang._

* * *

The catacombs. Where they truly lost the war. And where...

No.

She shook her head, shaking out the memories. There was no benefit in dwelling on the past, on people she hoped to never see again.

The birds had stopped twittering when she jumped from the last branch to the soft ground. Picking off wayward leaves on her clothes, Katara slung the rucksack on her back and turned towards the temple. Everyone would be awake now, probably, maybe, not really. She hoped not. There weren't any raids planned today, after all. She did enjoy the relative silence – it felt safe and peaceful, not hollow or empty. And it gave her time to cook breakfast without Sokka hovering around hoping for an extra bite here and there.

And then? Training. More training. Hour after hour. She had to be stronger. She had to be ready. It had to be perfect. A single mistake could get her – could get them all killed. No, her skills had to be flawless and she could never stop learning. Learn, practice, perfect. Learn, practice, perfect. Learn, practice –

"Ironic, isn't it?" A voice broke her reverie with its unmistakable sneer. "Even after making a show of sneaking around, you're as loud as a raging moose-lion. And here I thought you'd learnt something."

Katara froze, her breath hitching slightly in fear and shock. She turned, still praying that, maybe, he was a figment of her imagination.

The sliver of sunlight through the trees highlighted a mop of black hair and an angular face, pale and half-warped in scar. A pair of amused yellow eyes watched her, waiting. He leaned lazily against a tree, looking deceivingly innocent. But she knew better.

"What? Too afraid to move? How flattering." He raised his (one) eyebrow.

This was real, alright.

A blink later, a whip was ready in her hands, the plants around her curling brown in decay. She clenched her jaw in determination, and pushed, a spear of water rushing to impale him where he stood.

He side-stepped it easily, his eyes brightening with interest.

Katara flicked her hand, the whip twirling to become a series of ice daggers, flying at him with raging speed from all directions. There was no way he could avoid this.

He raised a wall of flames, obscuring himself from her view. The daggers pierced through, but when the fire faded away, he was gone. She took a step forward cautiously, another ball of water hovering between her hands –

Something cold and silver pressed against her throat, digging warningly against her skin. Her hands fell to her sides, the water splashing at their feet. "Very good," Zuko muttered in her ear. "Quick, but not quick enough, it seems. Just like always."

They had found them.

* * *

_Your thoughts, as always, are cherished._

_Until next time!_


	2. The Request

_Thank you so much to all those that reviewed last time around - absolutely wonderful to hear what you think! _

_And I promise I'll shed light on any main characters that have or haven't been mentioned yet. _

_Voila! _

* * *

They had found them, and it was her fault.

_Breathe in. _Katara clenched her hand, disgruntled at how it shook so viciously. The forest had fallen silent, as if watching them. Taunting. More senseless violence by humans, it seemed.

But she knew what to do.

Her eyes flicked down to the puddle of water soaking their feet; this was her chance. She couldn't fail this now.

_Breathe out. _

"No snarky comments?" Zuko scoffed behind her. "That's new. And a little disappointing."

_Breathe in._

He was at too much of an awkward angle for her to kick, and the idea of it being her last living act before the swords reached her throat didn't seem very attractive. And he knew that.

She felt him shift. "You know," he drawled on, "I was hoping that after all this time, you wouldn't be so predictable. This was too easy."

That was her opening. He thought he knew her. Hah, she hardly knew herself these days. Such cockiness. The past didn't matter anymore - who she was, what she fought like. What mattered was the present, though some memories hovered at the edge at all times, chilling and threatening and familiar.

_Breathe out._

And right now, she was pretty pissed off.

_Breathe in. _

With a sudden flick of her hands, the water on the floor rose up to encase them in ice. She knew she had seconds before he melted himself out. Blowing a jet of warm water through her nostrils, Katara ducked under his rapidly melting arms and pushed away from him. Rolling on the floor, she drew water from the trees, shaping them into her very own frozen knife. By the time he had half-melted himself out of his prison, she was pressed against his back, a cold prick at his neck threateningly.

"How the tables have turned," she said, proud her voice didn't shake. "Am I still so _predictable_?"

Zuko turned his head slowly, and she could swear his eyes held approval - before the usual scowl greeted her instead.

"I thought you were dead," the waterbender spat out. "I heard the rumours."

"Sorry to disappoint. And you shouldn't gossip."

She pressed the knife closer. "Why not? When I can make the rumours into truth, right now. One less evil in the world. And don't give me that look," she muttered, scornfully, at his narrowed glare. "What else did you expect? That you'd find the same naive girl you left, that I'd show you mercy?"

In her anger, she didn't notice that he had completely unfrozen.

"Is that what you wanted? To see how much _your _world has changed me?"

He watched her, but she could see the flicker of emotions in his yellow eyes. End it now, Katara. You have to protect everyone. Do it.

"Surprise surprise, peasant, but _my _world doesn't revolve around you," he retorts calmly. "And frankly, I haven't seen you try and change it a little. Azula is still Fire Lord and Ozai is still Phoenix King and it looks like the Avatar's merry band of misfits is too afraid to do anything about it."

Ouch.

"What makes you think we haven't been fighting back?"

He turned his head to stare ahead, the knife against his throat just that much closer. "Raids on insignificant bases don't do much. And you can't kill me. Seems to me like you aren't half the bloodthirsty machine you like to think yourself as."

Ignore the bait. He's wrong. You can kill him, Katara, Just a small flick. You're at the right nerve, one small cut -

Wait.

"How did you find us?" she snapped, not even caring if he knew of the others. It was a given she wasn't alone.

A small chuckle. "Haven't you figured it out? I'm _very _good at finding people."

_"How did you find us?" _

He paused, before dropping his swords (wait, was he holding them this whole time?) and reached into his tunic, withdrawing something withered and brown. "You've got a pretty strong scent, it turns out. Consider bathing more often."

Her waterskin. One she'd dropped in the catacombs once upon a nightmare ago.

She cursed under her breath. Of all the luck in the world. She stretched out her free hand to grab it -

\- only for him to move it out of reach.

"You haven't asked me what I want yet," he said with a cocked eyebrow.

Does it even matter if I plan to kill you?

Gritting her teeth, she spat out, "What do you want?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes giving her a once-over. "Always so polite. I need you. All of you, as it so happens."

A burst of cynical laughter. "Riiiight. Let me just run and grab everyone, _Your Majesty, _and we'll follow you to Azula like the little obedient soldier boy you are -"

"- you're hilarious. That's not what I meant. I don't have any intention of seeing my supposed executioner. I need your help."

Fair point. But that didn't mean she trusted him. It would be just like Azula to send a puppet, claiming good will before burning their skin off. Her fingers tightened around the knife. He seemed serious; no smile but no scowl either. He just watched her, waiting, his eyes shadowed.

No, she couldn't trust him.

"I figured you wouldn't believe me, so I have something for you. Might just give you some hope." His voice was devoid of any emotion, and it unnerved her.

He dug a hand into his pocket, drawing something small and enclosed in his fist. "Heard of the Order of the White Lotus?" Opening his hand, she saw a Pai Sho tile.

"Not really," she muttered, puzzled. "Word went around they were a group of rebels, but were wiped out in an attack outside Ba Sing Se. I heard they were made an example of..." her voice trailed off. She cleared her throat. "How is this relevant?"

He played with the tile between his fingers, his head turned away so she couldn't see his face. "You're right, there was a rebel attack outside Ba Sing Se. They didn't last long. You could hear their screams for days. They strung up their remains as a reminder of what would happen to those that disobeyed. It made sense. What moron tries to attack one of the heaviest guarded cities in the world?" Again, the emotionless voice. So matter-of-fact, he could have easily been speaking about the weather. "But it wasn't the White Lotus. They're smarter than that."

"It _made sense,_" she repeated through gritted teeth. "How does that make any sense? In what sort of twisted context is torture alright?"

Zuko shrugged. "These things happen. You have to show strength somehow. We do what is necessary."

_We do what is necessary. _

Her hand started to shake in fury. Fury at his cold heart, fury that he was still alive and she was still listening. Her eyes roved over the back of his head, at his confident posture. Untouched, where she was writhing. "Of course. I'm sure the Fire Prince must need to show his strength several times within the walls of his Palace. You poor thing."

A dark chuckle. "Looks like you've already forgotten who my sister is. You're hardly in a position to judge. You have no idea what she's become, what they've all become since the Avatar fell."

"And who's fault is that?" she snapped, her voice cracking. "Who's the one that let Azula take him down in the first place?" She couldn't say his name. Not without breaking, and she'd never give the firebender the satisfaction.

"You're right," he said simply, shocking her. "I made a mistake. But it's so much worse out there now. They've taken so much from me-"

He stopped abruptly, and Katara noticed his hands were white and clenched. His words had traces of the old passionate anger she remembered, but when he opened his mouth again, it was the cool voice that emerged. "I understand why you don't trust me. I really do. But this is bigger than you and I, and you have to believe me when I tell you that I'm here to help. There's a reason the Avatar had you all by his side, and I think once we find the White Lotus, we might still have a chance. The world can't survive much longer the way it has."

She hated to admit it, but his words were starting to chip away at her shield. "How are we supposed to change the tides?" she asked. "How is the White Lotus supposed to help? There's no way we can take on Ozai or Azula. To reach them would be a suicide in itself."

"I'm not asking for your help to kill my father and my sister." He turned towards her fully now, her knife still raised. His face was distinctly older, paler, and more drawn. The passionate fury that once lit his eyes had dulled, though she could still feel its determined intensity. This wasn't the same boy that chased them around the world, anymore. Or the boy that betrayed them under Ba Sing Se. She wasn't sure what he was now.

But she could see his motives plainly. It wasn't a desire to seize power like one would assume from a boy plotting to end his family's reign. It wasn't the promise of glory or the label of hero. He had had enough. This simply wasn't a world he wanted anymore.

"We're going to save the Avatar."

She gaped at him. He grinned back at her. "Like you don't find the idea appealing. Admit it, he's the only one that can put an end to all this. It isn't our destiny to take down the Phoenix King, but his. And we're going to help him make that destiny a reality. Isn't that the sort of sappy heroic stuff you're into?"

"You're so full of it," Katara burst out, angrily. "Everyone knows the Avatar is gone. Azula attacked him in his Avatar State, and I didn't have enough time to heal him. He's gone." Keep it together. Don't breakdown. But it didn't stop her heart ache with each word.

His smile began to fade, and he stared at her. "You don't actually believe that, do you? Is that why you haven't come out of hiding?"

She couldn't respond.

"You have my word that he's alive, Katara. I've seen him myself."

He's lying. No, no, she saw him fall. She had felt the lack of life in his body. He's just toying with you.

She didn't register that he called her by her name.

"I wouldn't be here if he wasn't. He isn't in a condition to free himself, so we're going to have to do it for him. You _have _to believe it." He stepped forward, only to retreat when she raised her knife again.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" she asked, softly, still not daring to hope. "Even if you're telling the truth, that h-he is alive and you want to save him, how will this work if I don't believe you won't stab me in the back?" Again, she added silently.

A pause.

"Makes sense. What do you want me to do?" he asked, his hands outstretched.

She couldn't make this decision without the others. They might actually provide reason to this insanity, and Toph could always catch him out if he was lying. Worse came to worst, there was six of them against one of him. They could take him down, if necessary.

And he had to see how they were living, what everyone was like. He had to see how they had changed, and she had to see if he had any humanity left. Three years was a long time to change anyone.

Katara dropped her knife, noting his surprise. She walked over to her discarded rucksack and dug in to find a chain. Under normal circumstances, she used it for climbing, but this was a far more pressing need.

"I'm taking you to see everyone. They'll help me decide what to do, so you better hope you convince them of your supposed innocence." She reached for his hands and he held them out without objection. At least if he was taken as a prisoner, Sokka wouldn't impale him with a sword the first moment he saw him. "You try anything, I'm pushing you off the cliff. And trust me, it'll be satisfying." She bound his hands quickly. If it was too tight, he never said.

Heaving the rucksack on her back, she took his swords in her hands (he narrowed his eyes at her) and took one final look at him.

How desperate had she become?

He flashed her a half-smirk and a sarcastic bow. "Shall we?"

* * *

_Your thoughts are welcomed. Thanks for reading :) _


	3. The Choice

_Hola, again!_

_There probably isn't going to be a regularity in postings, since I usually put chapters up as soon they're finished. So hey, three chapters back to back. Not bad, eh?_

_Again, thank you so so much to those that reviewed last time around. As far as characterisation goes, I'm taking liberties given that this is an AU. Since this probably can be considered a dystopian world, I've decided to adapt the characters as such. So if Zuko seems a little...harsher than usual, it'll all make sense (hopefully!) in due time._

_Quite a long chapter, here. But a necessary one, me thinks._

* * *

Toph stumbled into the chamber muttering to herself, rubbing her eyes awake. She'd woken up at the crack of dawn thanks to one waterbender (who, admittedly, was getting better at sneaking around. Still needed work though.) and as much as she'd tossed and turned, she couldn't get back to sleep. That, coupled with four boys' worth of snores, and you had one cracking earthbender.

"Slept in again, have we? Toph, we talked about this! Getting up earlier, remember? Seizing the day?"

She groaned. Looks like Snoozles was at it again with his psychotic planning. Raid here, gather information there. La dee da. Wonderful. Really worth getting out of bed for. Maybe he'd calm down once she _seized_ him in a block of earth.

"Boy, you look like something a buffalo yak dragged in," Sokka continued, oblivious to her musings. "You really should try to get to bed earlier, Toph. We've only got 24 hours in the day! You know, including six for sleep, one for eating, four for training, one for bathroom breaks. Or two, depending on who's cooking that day-"

"Eurgh, Sokka, seriously - it's way too early in the morning for this. Take a breather, will you?" Haru's voice drifted in, heavy with yawning. "There'll be plenty of time to plan the next raid. Nothing really happens around here, remember?"

The squeal of wheels and a patter of feet told her Teo and The Duke had joined in, chuckling to themselves. "Give him a break, Haru," Teo interjected. "He hasn't had breakfast yet. You know how high-strung he is without food."

"I'm right here! And that is _so _not true. I'll have you know, that I am fully capable of being a functional, respectable member of society even without adequate nourishment-"

"I hear Sugar Queen coming."

"-oh my days, she must have brought breakfast!" Sokka sped towards the empty campfire and started trying to light a fire. "Duke, get the bowl of water! The sooner we get this prepared, the sooner we have food and the sooner we can get back to the drawing board. Efficiency, men, come on!" He snapped his fingers repeatedly and everyone started scurrying around, finding wayward pots and ladles.

Except her. The earthbender stood in the doorway with her head cocked, listening. Yes...right there. Beside Katara's was another set of footsteps, unfamiliar and heavier. A man, maybe? Another refugee?

"Guys," she called out to the bustling group. "Guys, I hear something."

Sokka was busy feeding the flames, patting around for extra wood on the floor. "Well, Toph, I should really hope so. Because if you can't hear anything, then we'd _really _be screwed."

She slapped her face with a palm. "No, you idiot. I mean I hear someone else. Katara isn't alone."

That did it.

A deathly silence fell over the room. Haru drew The Duke behind him as he faced the entrance, moving into a bending stance. Teo reached under his wheelchair for a makeshift bow and arrow, drawing the string.

Sokka leaned over to grab his sword and made motions at Haru and Teo to stay out of direct sight. If Katara was forced to lead someone here, though he doubted she ever would crack into doing so, he wanted some sort of element of surprise. Behind him, Toph stood at the wings, ready to fling any intruder off the cliff if necessary.

She heard The Duke's heartbeat speed up infinitely. It had been a long time since anyone had come around. Friend or foe, she wasn't sure how comfortable she was with change at this point.

They held their breath, and waited.

* * *

"The Western Air Temple, huh?" Zuko said, sauntering down the steps. The sun was high in the sky at this point, highlighting the jagged cliff wall like rotten teeth. "I can't believe no one's found you yet."

"Just shows how capable you are as a nation," Katara retorted behind him, his own twin blades pointing at his back. He stumbled often, unfamiliar with the worn and missing steps she knew off by heart. She didn't bother helping him.

He snorted. "Still took over the world, remember?"

It was hard to forget.

His swords felt heavy and awkward in her hands. As a waterbender, she usually relied on her element to fight, but after Sokka's insistence ("What if you're trapped in a massive volcano with a hundred Fire Nation soldiers? What are you gonna do then? See, this is why _I _got both the brain and brawn in the family - ouch! Watch that whip!") she was improving her dagger skills. Swords were still a little too much for her.

But she had seen him with the blades before, holding them out as an extension of himself. Elegant and dangerous. And just now, in their encounter, he had used the swords to cut her off, rather than his own firebending.

"Why do you bother with your blades so much?" Katara asked. "Surely as a firebender, you'd rely more on your element since you aren't limited to resources. You can just create it out of air."

He glanced back at her. The silver glittered like ice in the light. "There's no harm in a back-up. You can't rely on your element for everything."

Katara somewhat agreed, but it terrified her. Her element was her very spirit - if she couldn't rely on it to protect her, how would she survive? What kind of world had it become where benders doubted what made them whole?

Which had her thinking...

"You said everything was so much worse now," Katara blurted out. "What did you mean by that? What's happening?"

Eventhough they ventured out to ransack a base for supplies, or disguise themselves as citizens to glimpse any news of their friends and enemies, they were still vastly cut off from the rest of the world. As desperate as she was to learn of what was happening to the Southern Water Tribe or where the war prisoners were being transported again, inquiring too much raised suspicions and she was forced to eavesdrop on meaningless conversation. People weren't careless - they knew there were spies everywhere. Speaking of anything remotely controversial - the Avatar had become a taboo subject - could very well lead to some unpleasant circumstances. Once, they had attempted to take a soldier hostage to glean information on the whereabouts of their fathers and friends.

It didn't end well. They were surrounded by reinforcements within minutes and barely escaped with their lives. It had taken her hours to heal everyone.

"Well," his voice snapped her back to reality, "It's different. Completely different. Everything is controlled by the Fire Nation. And I mean, everything. Sozin's Comet came and even the Northern Water Tribe, the last free city, crumbled. Once, people used to dare challenge the soldiers and speak their minds, even if it didn't make much of a difference. But now, anyone with sense keeps quiet. You're either dead, in a cell, or licking Ozai's boots. There aren't many places to hide anymore, so I'm surprised you've lasted as long as you have in such a public place. Luck, I suppose."

She suppressed a bark of laughter. She didn't feel so lucky.

"You know," Zuko carried on, "I used to think that once the Fire Nation took over, everything would be better. The war would be over, and we could be a great nation again. Honourable. We'd bring balance to the chaos." There was a softness in his words.

"There's your first problem," Katara retorted, harshly. "It wasn't your job to bring balance. Now we're facing the consequences of _your_ God-complex."

There was no answer.

* * *

"Sokka."

He didn't reply.

_"Sokka."_

"What?" the Water Tribe boy whipped around to look at her. "Toph, I kind of need to pay attention here. We don't know who this is-"

"Exactly," Toph replied. "We _don't _know who this is. It could be a friend-"

"-I doubt that. We haven't seen a friend in years-"

"-even then, try not to strike first and ask questions later. We don't want to regret anything."

Sokka took a deep breath and turned back to the entrance. "We'll see. We've suffered before because we didn't strike first."

She sighed.

The footsteps grew louder, and she could make out words in the vibrations. The room tensed and she could taste the anticipation in the air.

"...bring balance to the chaos."

"There's your first problem. It wasn't your job to bring balance. Now we're facing the consequences of your God-complex."

Wait. No, that wasn't possible. No way, not in a million years...

"Toph?" a low voice asked, concerned. "You okay? You sort of just...stiffened."

"Haru, stop talking! We don't want them to hear us!" Sokka hissed.

"Why? I'm pretty sure they already know we're here!"

"You don't know that! What if it's an enemy and Katara's expecting us to hide?"

"Then why aren't you hiding, Mr I'll-Stand-Right-In-Front-Of-The-Entrance?"

"Someone has to confront them and save their little sister-"

"-Oh, because she's just _so _incapable of saving herself-"

"-I'm just trying to look out for her-"

"-What, by being an over-controlling git?"

_"Both of you, shut up! _I think they're here!"

The boys fell silent at Toph's growl, muttering under their breaths. She ignored them pointedly as she tuned into her surroundings, her mind still whirling from recognising this "new" intruder.

* * *

"Wow, this is a dump. You've had three years, and you never bothered to renovate?" Zuko said, stopping to give the temple a critical eye.

Katara climbed down the last few steps to join him on the landing, glaring at his backside. "Well, gosh, Your Majesty, you're right! Next time, send word before you show up so we can make sure _everything_ is comfortable for you." She spread out her hands, animation raising her voice. "I mean, it's not like we're in exile or anything. How selfish of us, thinking of survival when we could _obviously _have spent our time building a new spa or a master bedroom or a-"

"Okay, okay, I get the point. You talk too much." He dismissed with a wave of his hand, moving around the fountain and towards the large doors he assumed were the entrance.

"And you have the audacity to call _me _rude?"

"I'll have you know-" he started, spinning on his heel.

"Whatever, I don't care." It was her turn to dismiss him, and it felt good. "We're here. Be on your best behaviour. Or not, I don't care. It's not my life on the line here." Katara flashed him a humourless smile and moved to push the doors. For a second, she thought she heard yelling from the inside. Probably Sokka after stubbing a toe on a boulder. She swore sometimes Toph placed them around randomly on purpose. Taking a deep breath and secretly praying this wouldn't turn violent, Katara shoved the doors wide open. Behind her, Zuko cleared his throat.

Time for the moment of truth.

There was silence: curt, oppressive and trapping them in its web of anticipation.

And then Sokka charged.

* * *

"What the hell was that for?! You could have killed him!"

"He tried to attack me with a sword! What did you expect me to do, welcome him with open arms?"

"So you throw a fireball at him? I would have handled it! You're lucky Toph didn't throw you off the cliff!"

"Oh, so I should probably thank you for freezing me to the ceiling before that happened. He barely has a scratch on him! I could have scorched him alive, if I wanted to. It's _him _that's lucky!"

"Just shut up already!"

Katara bent over her groaning brother, her hands glowing over the fast-growing lump on his head. The wall he had collided at speed with suffered a Sokka-imprinted dent, which was mildly impressive.

"Is he...is he going to be alright?" the small voice of The Duke asked, still grabbing onto Haru's clothes. They were crouched around the injured, Haru checking for any broken bones. Further away, Toph and Teo stood under a seething Zuko, with bending stances and pointed arrows. She could practically feel Toph's disapproval emanating in waves, but she appreciated the lack of quizzical tirades she knew the earthbender wanted to unleash.

"He'll be fine," Katara said, kindly, "But I think we should be a little more worried about him gaining consciousness. He isn't going to be happy."

"Gee, what a shame," snapped the firebender, writhing on the ceiling, "Next time, maybe he'll think twice before running at me like that. We're wasting precious time, you know. If you don't let me out this instant, I'll break this ice apart myself."

A snort. "Oh, how frightening," Toph barked up at him, tauntingly. "You might want to reconsider that, Sparky. Trust me, you're a lot safer up there than down here." To prove a point, she stomped her foot, raising spikes from the ground under him.

This really wasn't going to be easy.

Inhaling deeply, Katara gave Sokka another once-over. The Duke was dabbing a wet cloth on his head cautiously, and she smiled at his efforts. Satisfied her brother would live, she stood up slowly and walked towards a now furious Zuko, Haru in her wake. Yellow met blue when she glanced up, and she realised with a jolt that maybe it was up to her to do the talking. Great.

"Okay, well," the waterbender began, twisting her hands, "You're all probably wondering why there's a Fire Prince frozen to our ceiling. I can explain."

"Go on, Sugar Queen," Toph said, her tone clipped. "I'm sure it's a fascinating story."

So she told them everything he had told her, from his taunts about hiding away (Toph didn't appreciate that) to his claims the Avatar was still alive (This was met with a mix of shocked silence and whooping celebrations.) And finally, to his request for their assistance.

The room was in quiet consideration, Teo's brow furrowed in concentration and Haru glaring at the firebender with narrowed eyes. Toph hadn't reacted yet, and Katara found herself holding her breath to hear her opinion.

"You," the earthbender suddenly turned to point at Zuko. "Tell me what you want again. The whole truth. I want to see how honest you are."

He cocked an eyebrow sarcastically - an interesting feat from his demeaning position. Not that she could see it. "How do you know I'm not a brilliant liar? Azula's my sister, you know. I might have picked up a thing or two."

"Because throughout this entire conversation, your heart's been pounding like a ranting goat-gorilla. Guess the skill doesn't run in the family. Now tell me what you want and don't make me ask again."

He paused, and Katara wondered if his pride would win and he'd refuse Toph's order, but to her surprise, he complied.

Toph tilted her head to the side. No one dared utter a sound, and Katara realised how much she was hoping he was telling the truth.

This could be it. The chance they'd been waiting for. The chance to make a difference.

"It's difficult to tell since it was hammering so fast already," the dark-haired girl finally said. "But I can't hear a significant change in his heart rate. As far as I know, he's being honest."

Katara didn't imagine the sigh of relief from above.

"But," Toph continued, "I still think we need to ask more questions. He's asking for a lot trust, and we need answers before I'm ready to commit to anything."

Everyone shrugged in agreement. Best to leave Toph to do her thing. If anyone could get what they wanted out of someone, it was Toph.

"Oi, Sparky, pay attention," the earthbender said levelly, "I'm skeptical about your so-called reason for all this. What are your real intentions? A supposedly-dead prince doesn't make the effort in tracking down a bunch of rebels unless he has some pretty strong motives. So talk."

The consoled expression on his face faded. Zuko's tone was empty and controlled, as it had been before. "I told you. I've had enough of all this. What did you think I had in mind? You've already said you think I'm telling the truth."

"Maybe," Katara interrupted, folding her arms over her chest. "Maybe you're honest. But maybe you _have_ perfected lying and this is all a rouse to send us to the Fire Lord. I wouldn't put it past you."

If he could slap his palm to his face, she had a feeling he would. His expression was that exasperated. "We've been over this. If I wanted to give you over to the Fire Nation, you'd be halfway there already. I don't like failure, you see." The last part was almost a whisper, through half-lidded hungry eyes. It quite possibly was the most unnerving look she'd ever seen on him. "Satisfied?" he asked.

"That's a stretch," Toph muttered, her sightless eyes flickering. "Fine, let's say you _aren't _a spy. What exactly do you do for the Fire Nation? There were rumours that you'd tried to overthrow the Fire Lord and you were executed. No one's heard from you in over two years. Where the hell have you been? What were you doing?"

Zuko's face was impassive, and Katara wondered if he would respond. This piked her interest more than anything. It was true, once news spread that it wasn't Ozai's first-born but his youngest that would be crowned, all sorts of theories popped up about the Fire Prince:

_My cousin told me he tried to kill his own mother, so the Phoenix King didn't want such a maniac in charge and asked his sister instead._

_Well, my neighbour's sister-in-law heard from her tailor that the Prince was just too afraid to take the throne. His sister graciously accepted it so he wouldn't have to. What a wonderful family._

_Always was the weaker one. I bet he's secretly plotting her demise as we speak. He was banished, wasn't he? Probably holds a vendetta. Heard he tortured his own uncle to insanity. Bad blood, I think. Definitely the mother's fault._

"I used to be in Azula's inner circle. Something happened, and now I'm not. I did what was necessary to survive. Just like you." Again, the lack of emotion bothered her.

"And what was that?" Katara pressed on. "What did you do?"

He gave her a hard look. "What _didn't _I do?" His voice broke on desperation and intensity and she couldn't look away from his stare, their impact cutting deeper than the words themselves.

_Just like you._

He laughed then, brittle and hollow. Katara could feel Haru shudder softly beside her, and Teo anxiously clenching and unclenching his hands. Toph was immobile, absorbing his words.

Nobody knew what to say next.

"You have a choice now," Zuko drawled, looking at each of them. "For the last three years, you've cowered here while the world burned around you. I'm offering you a chance to snatch it back. You can either take a risk with me or you can kill me, and return to your pathetic half-lives. I'm giving you the choice to stop being _weak, _to stop living in the past and wishing on hope instead of seizing the day."

"Remembering what's happened doesn't make us weak," Teo retorted, "It's part of what makes us human."

The firebender's grin was savage. "That _is _what makes you weak. If you want to die in a hole in a wall, with no one left to mourn you - _fine. _But I won't. I'm going through with this, and whether you all join me is your call."

His words hung in the air like a swinging noose.

"He's right," a voice from behind made them jump. Katara whipped around to see Sokka leaning against the wall, The Duke's wet rag in his hand, pressed against the back of his head. "As much as it pains me to say it, I agree with him. We can't keep living like this. If there's even the slightest chance at fighting back and making a difference, let's take it. We don't have to trust him, we just need his cooperation. He needs us to help him find the White Lotus, and we need him to help us infiltrate the Fire Nation. It's like a business deal. We have numbers on our side too, and if he knows what's good for him, he won't try anything. There isn't much we have left to lose."

Other than our lives, it seemed.

When did you get so wise?

Katara's eyes roamed from the determined Sokka to the impassive Toph, to finally, the stunned Zuko - evidently, her brother was the last person he expected to take his side first.

This Zuko had been defined by this new world more than they had - it had moulded him in ways that had never touched them. And yet, he still had so much more hope than their whole group put together. He believed the Avatar was alive, when everyone else had long mourned his passing.

If they wanted a chance, they had to believe like Zuko did.

And if Sokka believed him, then she would too, as fearful as it made her.

"Okay," Katara said, clinging onto this new-found ray of light. "Let's do it."

For the first time in a long, long time, her fear felt good.

* * *

_Phew, that was a mission and a half._

_As always, your thoughts are much appreciated._


	4. The Promise

_Thank you so much to all those that reviewed/alerted/faved the last time around. It's always encouraging to hear what anyone has to say! :) _

* * *

The day passed by like a hungry snake, tense and brimming with anticipation. In its wake glided a starry night, its thousand colours sparkling over the ghostly silence of the forest.

Following Sokka's support of Zuko's plans, the rest of the group complied with various degrees of excitement. Teo and The Duke trusted Sokka implicitly, and set about gathering belongings here and there as they talked about the trip. Haru was skeptical, but silent. Whilst he didn't protest, his reservations were evident in his stiffness towards Sokka and his blatant refusal to converse with Zuko. Toph, on the other hand, was ambiguous. She, like her fellow earthbender, never outright challenged Sokka's decision, but she offered to stand guard to the firebender - which Katara believed was simply so she could hound him for more answers and monitor his heart rate as she did so. He wasn't as cooperative as he had been, and more than once, refused to answer a question that was remotely personal.

And herself? She wasn't sure what to believe. Katara trusted Sokka just as Teo and The Duke did - more, in fact. Without him, she doubted she would have been able to survive as long she had. It was his planning and his decisions that had kept them from capture so far, and she wasn't about to undermine his authority now. They all had reasons to distrust the Fire Nation - but Sokka, out of everyone there, would have been the first to refuse Zuko's help. The fact he didn't gave her reason to think that, perhaps, they were on to something.

That maybe _he _was still alive.

It hurt just to think about it, so she stopped.

Katara piled Toph's belongings into a rucksack. They were few and far between, but the earthbender was..._occupied _in the other room. What with Zuko encased in a cocoon of dirt under her watchful feet and all. Just because they were following his plan didn't mean they trusted him enough to roam free. He should count his lucky stars she hadn't kept him frozen - she had better things to do than babysit. Or admittedly, it was more that she didn't really want to hear anymore stories of what was happening. They were emerging into the real world soon enough, and she was basking in her last few hours of safety within these walls, out of earshot.

It would be the first time in three years that they would leave the Western Air Temple, with no intention of returning. It frightened her. They would be stripped of what kept them from the unforgiving face of the world, baring them to its realities. And as she stood at the entrance, on the threshold of a new beginning and an old life, it took all her restraint not to drop her stuff and crawl into a corner.

When she emerged into the entrance hall, Sokka and Haru were taking rounds of the temple, checking for any wayward belongings. It would not do to leave behind scents that could be traced back to them - as Zuko had kindly demonstrated. Teo sat on his wheelchair in the corner, counting his arrows and checking supplies. The Duke stood beside her, kicking a rock here and there to entertain himself, his bag strapped to his back. The eleven-year old had grown rapidly before her eyes, and it still stunned her that the boy before them was almost at the age _he _had been when setting out to change the course of history. Just the thought of sending The Duke out alone to find food had her in hysterics -

_No. _You can't think of him. You don't handle it well. You have to stay focused.

Shaking her head furiously to physically rid herself of any thoughts, she caught Zuko's eyes staring at her from across the room. He'd been silent for the past few hours, casually observing the group as they bundled around removing any traces of the last three years of their lives. Occasionally Toph would lower his prison so he could regain feeling in his body again, but even then, he'd quietly stand, stretch and wait for the earth to surround him once more.

His eyes never stopped analysing, though.

"Right, I think that's all of it," Sokka announced, wiping his hands as he entered the room. "Everyone ready?"

"What about Sparky here? What are we going to do with him?" Toph asked, pointing at the firebender.

Haru shrugged, swinging his rucksack over his shoulder. "We could just bind his hands or something. And we'll take turns watching him."

"Or - crazy idea - we could just let _him _walk free because this is after all, _his_ idea."

They all whipped their heads at Zuko, who gave them a raised eyebrow.

"Well, gee, don't get too excited." he continued drily. "I'm simply pointing out that you'll be wasting your time and efforts. I'm not the enemy here, and I promise you, we'll be encountering some on the way." Zuko pointedly looked at the ceiling, avoiding their glares. "I mean, as someone who's been on the inside of things, I could really help if there was a problem. But if my hands are bound then..."

"Oh forget it! He won't hurt us. Toph, let him go. He can help with the luggage or something."

Bewildered eyes switched to Sokka, who was casually zipping his bag. He seemed oblivious to Teo's open-mouthed stare.

"Sokka..." Katara began, uncertainly. "Not that I'm trying to imply that you're insane or anything but-"

"Are you on the cactus juice again?" Toph interrupted, heated. "Or did you purposefully forget how he slammed you into the wall? I think you killed some brain cells there, Snoozles. It's one thing to follow this absurd plan of his - it's entirely another to assume he's one of us now. You're already risking everyone's lives, and I won't let you make another stupid decision that could cost us!"

Maybe Toph wasn't so ambiguous, after all.

Her brother took a deep breath, and turned to face the earthbender. "No, I haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten that this is Prince Zuko, who chased us around the world. Who helped Azula capture Ba Sing Se. Who's had a hand in all the atrocities that have happened. Of course I haven't forgotten!" He threw his hands in the air. "But you know what? I can't afford to think of the past anymore! I don't think it was a coincidence he found us, and I might actually believe what he's saying. So yeah, I'm sorry, Toph, if I'm taking a leap of faith and an opportunity to leave this hellhole. Even if it means risking my life and putting it in the hands of a traitor. I can't stay here anymore." He sighed, and rubbed his face, looking more tired than usual. "Zuko's right in one sense. If we have him bound all the time and someone sees, it could raise a lot of questions. That, and I doubt it'll do much. He's a master firebender. I'm pretty sure he'd know how to escape if he really wanted to. Please, Toph. You don't have to trust him, but you can trust me." His voice became soft and pleading.

His words settled in the air like a rough blanket - uncomfortable and thick.

Toph glared at nothing, but didn't reply. A heartbeat, and she stomped her foot, the earth encasing the Fire Prince crumbling to the ground. Zuko stood up gingerly, brushing off the dust. He seemed oddly satisfied with himself, and that snapped something in the waterbender.

Katara stalked right up to him, the top of her head just about at his nose. "Fine," she said, a finger jabbed at his chest. "You've succeeded. We're going to help you. But I'm warning you." She looked into his eyes then, hoping it emphasised her words. "You and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me make myself clear. You make one step backward, one slip-up. Give me one reason to think you might hurt the people I care about, and you won't have to worry about the fate of the world anymore. Because you won't be a part of it. And this time, I won't hesitate."

Beneath the dim light of burning torches, he looked so much younger and softer. Only the striking stain of scar consuming his face damaged the image: a reminder of the tarnished family he belonged to, of the blood that ran through his veins.

Zuko nodded stiffly, his eyes ablaze and never leaving hers.

"Well, that was...dramatic. So, uh, are we leaving now?" Teo's voice broke the intensity, and Katara spun on her heel to stalk off, her heart hammering.

She moved to stand in the doorway, waiting for the others to pass her before she went on. She wanted a moment alone with the temple, a chance to say goodbye, as sappy as it sounded. They had some good memories here, despite it all. Sokka paused momentarily beside her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and she returned his smile. Zuko brought up the rear, and she pointedly stared at at a rock to avoid his eye.

Just when he'd walked by her and she shifted to look into the entrance hall, a hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. Hard. Without thinking, she turned and slammed her knee into his stomach. Zuko gasped and dropped her wrist, clutching his sides. The others were too far ahead to hear, much to her appreciation. This would have been difficult to explain.

"Don't do that," Katara snapped, guilt nagging her. She pushed it away. "I'm already jittery as it is!"

Yellow eyes narrowed, and he hissed through gritted teeth, "Right. Next time, I'll tap with you a ten foot pole. Psychos, all of you!" He groaned.

She drew herself up. "Psychos? Look who's talking! And there's nothing wrong with some defensive manoeuvres. I'm not helpless, I've survived."

"Oh, and I wonder who's to thank for that! Seems like you've already forgotten."

She didn't forget. In the catacombs, so long ago, she had almost met her end. But he hadn't done it. And now they were here, an ironic dance of destiny.

"Of course I haven't forgotten," Katara muttered, softly, guilt rising up again. "I'm sorry, okay. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Zuko stood up straight then, breathing a little more shallow. "Well, you could say it a little nicer, but I guess manners are somewhat too much to ask for."

She ignored the jibe. "What do you want, Zuko? Everyone's probably assumed that we've murdered each other, so I'd hurry it up."

The firebender regarded her in a cool stare. "Just thought I'd add something to your threats back there. It's all very well and good to assume I might want to hurt your loved ones, but I wanted to make _my _point clear, too."

He took a step towards her. She took a step back.

"This works both ways. I have people I care about as well, and if you lay a finger on any of them - even in the name of justice - then you'll have me to deal with. Understood?"

"Protecting criminals, are we?"

His voice was thin as ice. "Careful, Katara. Righteousness is a dangerous game to play, and frankly, there are no winners."

He turned to walk up the steps then, leaving the question to die on Katara's lips.

* * *

The silence in the cell was deafening.

He lay here, still and dreaming, his eyes moving under his eyelids in the soft rhythms of a sea. Though confined in a concrete box, with an all-consuming darkness, he roamed free in his mind. Not alone, no, never alone.

The floor below, a series of cages stand, row after row - unaware of the remarkable being above them. Flesh and shackles slammed against the bars, and those that had not lost their voices already scream into the air where no one cared to hear them. Not even him, in his faraway land. He could not hear their pleas to the unforgiving glares, their prayers for a hope that lies only feet away from them. To him, they did not exist - and they might as well not, for all they are and ever will be, lying within these formidable walls, in this manmade hell.

_She struck him with lightening in his Avatar State. _

As they rocked themselves back and forth, in between their sobs for help, they remember him.

_He didn't see it coming. _

It's a tale the guards have grown fond of telling, should some semblance of hope somehow survive in this place of despair.

_The Avatar fell. _

You would be a fool if you did not think so. Now bow to your superiors.

* * *

In this faraway land, he flew free. Unbound, unhurt, unperturbed. If it was an illusion, he couldn't say. He stood on a rock, gazing around at the misty surroundings. The world was peaceful here, safe. He took a deep breath, revelling in this moment of freedom. His memories were hazy, drifting with the ever-lasting wind.

What happened?

Where am I?

The catacombs...Azula...

Katara.

Oh no. I have to get back. I have to-

"Hello, Aang."

* * *

_Your thoughts, as always, are appreciated. _


	5. The Candor

_Apologies for the late chapter! Exams and all that jazz. Always getting in the way of life. _

_Hopefully this monster of a chapter will make up for it! _

_I've taken some ideas from LoK and 'Escape from the Spirit World,' and the map that I'm essentially going by is one created by the deviantartist Cobi4. Just to give credit where it's due! _

_Thank you so much to all the lovely lovely reviews from the last round! So very heart-warming. I absolutely love hearing what you think - regardless of criticism etc. Helps with the writing, you see! And a special "d'aww" to the alerts, too! _

_Happy reading folks!_

* * *

The forest at night was an ungodly mess, thriving with thick vegetation unseeing to the eye and low, monotonous noises of an inexplicable nature. Sokka had already hacked a passageway a while ago, and as they passed through into the bright moonlight, an immense feeling of relief washed over them. This was it. This was happening. They trekked down the long winding path to the coast in silence, apprehension and excitement gripping them too tightly for light conversation. The glimmer of the water danced under the sky, undisturbed as always.

Katara spotted a modestly large merchant ship in dock, the dark metal winking tauntingly. "So that's how you came," she muttered to herself. Over the years, they had thought of capturing a ship to use for themselves - it certainly would have meant Toph didn't have panic attacks sliding on her ice all the way over to the Earth Kingdom and she'd have a break from making sure they avoided Fire Nation ships. It wasn't worth the risk of getting caught, though. Someone would have found it eventually.

"A Fire Nation ship? An actual one? That's brilliant!" Sokka exclaimed, brightly. "We won't have to worry about being detected." He turned and flashed Zuko a grin. "We can go anywhere with this! So where to now?"

Zuko gave him a glance before taking the last few steps to the beach. "The perks of having a captain in your debt. And I've been tracking the White Lotus for a while - at least, I've _tried _to - and my best bet is that they're in the Earth Kingdom. I have somewhere we can stay for a little while - a safehouse in Mosho City, about an hour from the sea if we travel through the night. We could head there."

There wasn't much they could do but agree.

The ship in question was a beast of an invention. Since the war's end, the Fire Nation had been breaking through all sorts of scientific feats with the world's resources at their disposal. Using masses of earthbending labour with new-found oil discovered under the Northern Water Tribe, the sheer number of tanks and machinery meant even the weakest non-bending soldier had an advantage over the average bending rebel. And here, before them, was a product of this ruthless development. The metal was finely defined and welded together to create an armour of sort, particularly at the hull which curved like a scythe. A small pagoda-like mast sat atop the deck, looming over them as it reached the starry night. The light wind whipped the red flag of their enemy at the highest point, and it moved like a tiny flame.

They boarded the ship with trepidation, Katara not a hundred percent certain it still wasn't a trap. Regardless, she opened her waterskin (which Zuko had oh so _kindly _returned) and kept a keen eye out for anything was suspicious. Toph was quiet, casually leaning across the railing to gaze at the sea with unseeing eyes, her back to the group. Zuko had already made a move towards the cabin, and Katara noticed Sokka hesitantly look after him, before following the firebender's footsteps. A part of her wanted to go with him, to make sure he was safe -

\- but he could handle himself. She knew that. And if it was something important, he'd tell her, too. Always.

"Right," she said aloud, a little awkwardly. Toph was blatantly ignoring everyone, and the three other boys seemed more interested in analysing a piece of metal to pay attention to her. "Um, well, I...think I'll take a nap. It's been a long day, and I think there might be rooms downstairs and..." she trailed off. Was anyone really listening? Typical. Rolling her eyes, she shrugged and walked towards a door she assumed would take her below.

"Hey, wait up, Katara!" Haru's voice made her pause and turn to see him jogging to catch up to her. "Don't want you going alone or anything." He gave her a broad smile.

"That's sweet of you, but I'll be fine-"

"I'll come too! It's cold out here!" The Duke hopped towards them, and Katara could have sworn Haru opened his mouth in protest before giving the boy a grin.

She flashed the two boys her own cheeky smile. "It's been a while since we've been on a Fire Nation ship. I'm sure Zuko won't mind a little snooping around. Sound good?"

Haru flashed her a wink. "Sounds perfect."

* * *

And they were off. The ship grunted and protested under their feet as it shuddered out of dock, moving to the great expense of water that awaited it.

Teo watched Katara, Haru and The Duke scamper below deck for who-knows-what kind of mischief. He was contemplating joining them - even if it meant extra effort getting his wheelchair down the stairs - when an idle glance at the girl nearby stopped him.

It wasn't the rigid silence that told him Toph needed someone to talk to - it was becoming increasingly common lately - but rather the stiffness of her posture and how still she was standing there. When they'd first come to the Western Air Temple, the earthbender was hardly taller than him in his chair, but a growth spurt some time ago meant he had to crane his neck to look at her as he wheeled himself beside where she stood.

Scuttle around with the others, opening locked doors and secret chests aboard an enemy ship, or stay here and cheer up someone who'd prefer to wallow in solitude, probably ending up in some sort of punch for his attempt at trying to get her to "share her emotions".

Gosh, he hoped being the senseless optimist in the group would pay off one day.

Toph didn't seem to notice his presence - or she was plainly ignoring him. That wouldn't do.

"Hey," he said, uncertainly. "Um, you okay?" Yeah. Let's go with that. No harm in a simple question.

The girl turned her head, sightless eyes staring through him. Her face was stone-like and pale, but Teo could see the strained lines around her eyes. "Peachy," she muttered, voice void of expression. She turned back to the sea.

"I know you're lying," he added, cracking a smile. "If you've got something on your mind, lay it on me. I like to think that next to Wang Fire, I'm the best psychiatrist around these parts."

She chuckled under her breath. That was something. Teo felt a semblance of pride at that. Better add humour to his list of 'Things I Can Do Better Than Haru'.

But Toph had gone silent again. "Hey," he said, a little more serious. "Something's bothering you. It isn't right to keep it bottled up."

She scoffed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Please don't tell me this is another one of your "let's talk about our feelings" lectures. I'm not in the mood for it right now."

"It won't be if you just talk to me," he pressed on. "It's been a big day with Zuko and everything, and I know a lot of...the past has been stirred up today. Stuff we haven't thought about in so long, and now it's kind of just smacked us in the face when we weren't looking like, "Hey, pay attention to me! I still matter!" eventhough we've tried so hard to forget about it and it sort of hurts to think about and -"

"Teo, you're rambling again. What are you trying to say?"

"I'm _saying _that in twenty-four hours, a lot's happened and I don't think you're okay with it." He shrugged, before realising she couldn't see it. "Haven't you guessed? I'm nosy. Now talk. I promise you'll feel better." He added the last bit in the sing-song voice he knew she couldn't stand.

Toph groaned, and dropped her head into her hands. "You aren't going to leave me alone until I do, are you?"

"Nope."

"Not even if I threaten to weld you to the side of the ship?"

"I've always liked the breeze in my hair."

"Are you going to tell anyone about what I say?"

"Do I have a death wish? At least give me some credit for decency, Toph."

She gave him a grim smile before sighing softly. "Fair enough. Sorry, I'm just a little edgy." She ran a hand over her face tiredly. "You're right. It was like everything we'd been avoiding thinking about - the people we've lost, the people we've left behind - it all just came crashing down. And it hurts."

Teo swallowed thickly, a painful image of his father flashing in his mind. "I understand."

"I mean," she whipped around at him quickly then, "Teo, the Avatar might be alive. _Aang. _Aang's alive. And if he's alive, maybe the rest are, too! All those people that stayed behind after the eclipse..." Her breaths quickened then, and Teo thought he heard a dangerous quiver in her voice. "They've been alive this whole time," she muttered softly. "All of them. And we didn't save them. It shouldn't have been Zuko that came all this way to try and save Aang, it should have been _us_-"

"-Toph, we had no idea. We thought he was dead! That's what everyone said. _Katara _said it-"

"-Well, clearly she was wrong," Toph snapped. "I didn't want to believe Sparky over there, and I still don't want to! Because you know what that means? It means we've failed as friends and as family." She threw her hands in the air in frustration. "You can sit there and tell me about all the raids we'd been on, all those hours we spent trying to gather information and blah blah don't be hard on yourself blah blah. But you know I'm right. We didn't do enough because we were so freaking _scared _and I don't know _how _we're going to face Aang - if we _ever _find him - and tell him that we've survived the Fire Nation for three bloody years and we have nothing to show for it. We had to get Zuko the freaking _Fire Prince, _son of the goddamn _Phoenix King _to tell us what a disappointment we are to get us to move our asses."

Her mouth trembled, and Teo's mind was still whirling with her words. "Aang's alive, and we never tried to save him." Her voice had dropped to a whisper now.

He didn't know what to say next. When he'd asked her what was wrong, he honestly didn't expect...this. He'd thought it would be a "I don't trust this Fire Nation Prince" or another "Jeez, Sokka drives me nuts sometimes." But not this guilt, this heavy weight of realisation that maybe she was right. Hearing about Aang's possible survival had sent him in a flurry of elation. He'd been nothing but ecstatic on the way here. They were going to change the world. They were going to save everybody!

It never occurred to him that it came three years too late.

"Toph," Teo began gently, "You can't...you can't think like that. I'm not going to argue with you, because honestly, you're right." She cocked an eyebrow at this. "But the 'should have' game is a dangerous one to play. I remember what it was like after you guys came back from Ba Sing Se. You were devastated. Katara didn't eat or sleep for days - remember that? And then the eclipse came and we lost and we just weren't in the right state." He sighed and closed his eyes tightly. "We were just kids as well. We've grown a lot since then, but what could we have done facing an entire _nation? _Six kids against the world? And..." Oo, this last bit's going to hurt, "...And if my dad is still alive with all the rest, I think he'd understand that. They wanted us to escape so we could come back and fight another day, and that's today, Toph. Right _now, _we're going to save Aang. Now's all that matters. It's all we've got."

She was quiet for a moment, and Teo massaged a headache that had niggled into his head. Who knew talking about feelings was so draining.

A frown crept on her face, and tilted her head towards him. "I...actually feel better. How did that happen?"

Well, that makes one of us. He shrugged, nonchalantly. "I'm just magical like that. You guys just don't appreciate me enough."

Toph scoffed and gave him a hard punch. "Don't get cocky with me. This was a one-time thing. Because if you hound me to open up one more time, I _will _hurt you."

He laughed then, rubbing the sore spot on his arm. "Noted."

_"Remember Teo - never hold in what you have to say! Thoughts...they're like hot air and you're a balloon. Too many_ _and bam! We don't want you to bam, do we?" _

Today was all that mattered, true. But so did tomorrow. And tomorrow, he was going to save his dad.

Tomorrow would be theirs, too.

* * *

"Yue!"

The sudden fear that had gripped Aang's heart disappeared as his eyes lay on the hovering woman before him, entrancing in her own way. The white of her dress swayed to unseen winds and her soft glow lit up the shimmering clouds that circled her. Her skin seemed to glitter in this world, and a wave of peace overwhelmed him standing here in her presence.

"Listen to me, Aang. This is important," her voice held such concern, the old fear began creeping in again. "You were struck by lightening in your Avatar State and your Spirit has been injured. You are in danger of losing connection to it and your past lives forever if you do not move quickly."

Sudden flashes of blue moved across his eyes and he cringed, despite knowing it could not hurt him here. "I...I don't know what I should do," he admitted sadly. "I failed to protect everyone." He hung his head.

A soft touch on his chin and he looked up to Yue's kind eyes. "No, Aang, you didn't fail. You still have a chance. You must find Wan, the very first Avatar." The young airbender's eyes widened. "He is your key to reconnecting with your Spirit. Your past lives will try and help you on the way, but I warn you - there are Dark spirits here that are not your friends. They will try and lead you astray, but you _cannot _let them. They will only try and delay you, and this cannot happen."

Aang furrowed his eyebrows and processed the information. "Delay me?"

"Time, I'm sure you have come to realise, is not the same in the Spirit World. There is no concept of it here. The parallel universe with your world is not regular. What may seem like hours here may be weeks in the physical world, and vice versa. It is unreliable, and it is best we don't tempt it. You have to find Wan as soon as possible, Aang. The world cannot survive without you for very long."

Her last words struck a chord, and as he watched her fade away, a protest already on his lips, he felt his heart threaten to hammer out of his chest.

Find the first Avatar? He didn't even know what Wan _looked _like!

As soon as possible? But where was he even supposed to start looking? Under a rock? Where do thousand-years old Avatars even hang out these days?

_How was he supposed to save the world now? _

Hysteria started rising in him and he scrunched his eyes closed to slow his breathing down. Silence pressed against him and he focused on meditating into a state of calm. You can do this. You found Koh, you'll find Wan too.

The tranquil atmosphere morphed into something more. His eyes still shut, the young airbender listened as the lack of sound become a twittering of birds and other animal noises. A breeze whipped around him and he could swear he felt the warmth of some sort of sun. Taking a peek through one eye, he blanched when he found himself in the middle of a green meadow with massive mutated leaves as tall as buildings reaching a pale yellow sky. Violet and red flowers swayed gently around his feet, and a chuckle erupted from his lips when he saw a small animal jumping around him in excitement.

"Hey there, little guy!" Aang said, brightly. "Think you can help me find someone important? I'm looking for a guy called Wan. He, uh, he's probably been around here for a while so..."

The creature - a dragonfly bunny spirit of a sort - gazed up at him and squeaked softly, before fluttering its wings. He watched it rise higher and higher into the misty sky, its bright green skin blending with the trees around them.

"Wait up!" he called, giving chase. If only he had his airbending! He squinted to try and keep track of the charming creature, its squeals reverberating around the (oddly) empty meadow. With all his attention focused on the sky, Aang didn't see the figure suddenly emerge from behind a tree until he'd collided head first, the force knocking him on his back.

"Woah - wow, I'm so sorry about that. I was just running after this animal and I didn't see where I was..." he trailed off when he finally looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "Roku!"

The old Avatar gave the young boy a wink, helping him up. "Adorable things, aren't they? Rather loyal, too. I'd say it was good to see you, Aang, but the circumstances are not ideal, it seems. I trust you know what you must do?"

Aang brushed blades of grass off his tunic, giving Roku a pained expression. "Wan. Yue told me I needed to find him. But Roku - I don't even know where to start! The Spirit World is massive...he could be anywhere!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "And I have to get back soon because Katara's all alone with the Dai Li and Azula and-"

"Aang." Roku's voice cut him off with its weight of authority. "You will find Wan, I know it. He is you, after all, in another form. You'll recognise him when you see him. As for where to start - that is what _we _are here for, Aang. Come, walk with me." With a guiding hand on the airbender's shoulder, they began their trek through the dazzling forest. "I cannot take you to him directly. Finding him is part of your journey to reconnecting with your Avatar Spirit. We can only go so far together, I'm afraid."

Aang's shoulders slumped at his words. More tasks, more challenges. Would he ever be done with all this "testing"?

He kicked a stone and watched it roll away under a moss-infested branch, pondering his words. "Did...did you have trouble mastering the Avatar State too? Or did it come naturally?" Please don't say it did. I really need to feel better about myself right now.

His past life chuckled, shaking his head gently. "You give me too much credit, Aang. Believe me, I had my own problems. I was impatient - like you - and that didn't always end well for me." He turned to give the other boy a kind smile. "In fact, there was this one time where-"

"Wait, did you hear that?" Aang cut in, whipping around, his eyes roving the forest. "There's something watching us, I think."

He heard Roku take a few steps forward, his breathing becoming deep and even. The sound of a cracked branch snapped their heads towards its source, and Roku placed a hand on Aang's chest to push him back as he crept forward slowly.

A silhouette could be seen amongst the trunks, still and tall. Aang's eyes widened and he took a glance around for a branch or a rock - or anything! - that he could use for self-defence. Beside him, Roku growled, "The Avatar is under my protection. Show yourself!"

The figure bowed in acceptance and stepped forward, the yellow light throwing rays across their face.

Aang sprinted out from behind Roku's arm before the older man could grab him, unable to hear the worried calls of his name as he approached the figure.

"Gyatso! Gyatso, you're here!"

* * *

The sound of a door pressed shut whipped his head around and Zuko saw the Water Tribe boy leaning against the wall, trying to look casual.

He turned away from the steering wheel, and moved towards the desk in the centre of the cabin, laden with scrolls and other sorts of parchments. He decided not to initiate conversation, though the curiosity of his presence burned. What now? Another dramatic threat like his sister? Great.

"Um...hi," Sokka said, rubbing the back of his head.

Zuko's eyes remained pointedly trained on the map before him. "Yes?"

"I, uh, was wondering if I could ask you something."

He took a breath and briefly contemplated saying no. "Go ahead," he said curtly.

Sokka took a few steps forward, swinging his arms back and forth as he blew through his lips. He seemed agitated and a glimpse told Zuko that he'd been building up to this for a while. His interest piqued, he leaned back and gave the Water Tribe boy his full attention.

"Look, I know it isn't...easy, right now," the other boy began. "I mean, don't get me wrong, every bone in my body is just aching to drive a sword through you-"

Lovely start.

"-I mean, seriously, the whole walk down I kept thinking about how you'd never see it coming. One swoosh and that's it. Right at the head. You'd be done for-"

So charming.

"-but I didn't. Because for some crazy ass reason, I trust you're telling the truth. And killing you wouldn't be right, even if I really want to. It's weird but I feel like you and I are sort of in the same position. Just two guys trying to protect the ones we care about, trying to survive. You know what I mean?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone told you that your diplomatic skills are astounding? I'm really feeling the love. What do you want?"

Sokka cleared his voice and scoffed his feet. "Do you know much about the war prisoners?" The words came out rushed, as though aching to be spoken for so long.

He shrugged. "A fair amount. Why?"

"How many are still alive?"

Ah.

Zuko grimaced and turned away, pretending to find a sudden urge to steer their mostly straight course. "That depends who you're talking about. Some prisoners have lasted years and others, hardly hours."

Probably not the best response, judging from the harsh intake of breath behind him. He inwardly groaned. He'd been dreading questions like this. It was only a matter of time before one of them asked about any locked-up loved one - he just didn't want to be the one to break the bad news. Tears were messy and awkward things.

"Okay," Sokka said, his voice strained. He had a feeling the other boy was struggling to keep it together. "What about the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe? Or the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors? Would they be important enough to keep around?"

The firebender's hand gripped tightly around the steering wheel, a sudden flashback raging in his mind. He hadn't seen much of the Water Tribe Chief, but he'd heard rumours of the difficulty in containing him. He wasn't an easy prisoner, it seemed. The Kyoshi Warrior, on the other hand...

"Depends," Zuko said, honestly. "Ex-leaders are usually valuable assets because of their authority. Their people are usually more cooperative when they know their chiefs or monarchy are still alive. We learnt from our mistakes from the Northern Water Tribe. Taking out the chief there was anarchy. It just enraged the waterbenders even more. So unless they've caused trouble or the Fire Lord finds no more use for them, I'm pretty sure they're alive. We aren't just heartless murderers you know. There's strategy in everything."

It never occurred to Zuko of his excessive use of the personal pronoun when discussing the Fire Nation. It didn't escape Sokka, though.

"I beg to differ," he snapped, his awkwardness evaporating into pure anger at the mention of the Northern Water Tribe. "Pretty sure the hundreds - no, _thousands_ \- of lives you've claimed would probably say different too. Not that you'd care. It's just a statistic to you, isn't it? Death is just another _strategy._"

Zuko chose not to respond.

The silence was oppressive, and he heard Sokka pacing around trying to control his temper. Obviously, this wasn't heading in the direction he hoped. Still think we're in the same position, peasant boy?

"Moving on," Sokka muttered, albeit forcibly. "You think they're alive then? Where would they be held? Are they okay?" His voice held so much hope, it hurt to hear. Because if he gave him hope that somehow his father or his girlfriend were still alive, then it'd be practically his fault if it turned out not to be so. He didn't need more blood on his hands or guilt to carry. There was plenty to go around as it happened.

"Listen," Zuko hissed, his voice low. "I get that you want to save your family and your dearly beloved, but saving them is too much of a risk. That's _if _they're still alive, in which case, they'll be held in a maximum security prison completely isolated from the world and surrounded by hot boiling lava that we have no way of crossing without being shot down or burned alive. And you're forgetting I haven't been around the prisons in a while. Anything could have happened. Our mission is to find the White Lotus and save the Avatar. _He's _the one that'll bring your happy family back together, provided they aren't buried hundreds of feet underground or a pile of ash by now. We can't afford to get side-tracked. We've got to remember what's important here." He turned back to the wheel, effectively ending the conversation.

There was no response for a long time, which surprised him. Zuko had half-expected some sort of pointy object at his neck by now. This silence was just unsettling.

"Right. What's important. Of course," Sokka repeated monotonously at last. "Maybe we aren't the same. I shouldn't have expected someone like you to understand just how important family and friends are. Can't understand what you don't have." And with that, he was gone.

Zuko broke the desk that night.

* * *

Amongst the whispers of the night, they would never find her. They were looking for a girl in white and red paint, with determination and courage etched into her features as they were etched into her soul, forever.

But she - she was something more. A slew of brown hair and wide smiles and soft skin and deadly reflexes. She had learnt the ways of the world and she was what she needed to be - subtle, quiet, forgettable. In her head brewed an anger like an unforgiving mistress, curling to the sound of resentment; but her heart sang a different song, one of friends and home and a Water Tribe boy she swore she'd find again. He was out there. She knew it.

The message in her hand meant nothing to anyone not in the know.

_Pick a ripened fruit from the forest. But alas! it has a seed._

She wrote these notes between the hours filled with dishes and food and catcalls and laughter. No one suspected a mere maid at a tavern. It was subtle, quiet, forgettable. Amongst drunkards and deceivers, a warrior found her place.

"They know about the sanctuary in Baruu Forest. Clear out before they come."

It had been groaned into her ear by an intoxicated soldier, his hand wrapped around her wrist with despair and lust tipping his tongue.

At least, that's what he wanted you to believe. And you did. They always did.

Allies could be found in the strangest places, it seemed.

She would giggle and wink and give him a cheeky smile in return before bundling off to the next (unfortunately real) drunkard ready to grope after her. They never noticed the fresh glint in her eyes or the way the lines around her mouth seemed a little less defined. Of course they wouldn't. It was a forgettable sight.

Was it a risk?

Oh yes. Soldiers wandered in every night. Singing about the new victory over the neighbour's daughter or despairing over a love that no longer writes back.

Was it worth it?

Oh yes. Her sisters in arms still lay forgotten in some cell she could never find. The boy she dreamt of to keep her sane was nowhere to be found. Her home had long been conquered and who knew what remained that could hold any significance to her.

She had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and that's what made her strong.

The warrior would go to the marketplace at precisely noon the next day, where she would go to the fruit stall and spend precisely seven minutes deciding on the apples. After seven minutes, the vendor's son would run up to deliver a fresh batch of oranges, collide into her and fall, where she would proceed to help him up and slip a note in his pocket in the process. It would reach its destination by nightfall.

And by then, she'd be entertaining a new horde of pitiful souls, smiling wider with each passing hour.

Why?

Because Suki knew it wasn't over yet.

* * *

_You deserve a cookie after reading all that. _

_As always, your thoughts are cherished. _


	6. The Pitfall

_Aaaaaaaand I'm back! Haven't abandoned this story, I promise. _

_Apologies for the delay, but I do hope this looong chapter makes up for it! First off, thank you so so much to all the reviews I received. They were so lovely to read, and a particular shout out to Mee-Mee who left such fantastically descriptive comments! So thoughtful of you! :D I've been meaning to get to replying, so please bear with me. _

_Just as a warning, I've dealt with rather serious topics in this chapter. I've tried to leave most of it to the imagination, but I figured a cautionary word was in order. _

_Happy reading!_

* * *

The journey was short but draining.

After exploring the ship's depths with the two boys - where the most interesting discovery was the (lowest) level of sailor hygiene - Katara stood on its deck, struggling to keep her eyes open against the soaring winds.

The Western Air Temple had faded into the fog behind; she didn't dare look back.

There was an uneasiness amongst them. Sokka's back was turned to her, but she could sense his apprehension echoing across the ship. A low noise of idle chatter added the sullenness of Toph and the others, speaking of anything but the impending task ahead of them.

And though he wasn't present, still downstairs where he avoided them all, Zuko was almost impossible to ignore. She listened to his silence, there under the floorboards, heavy and fierce as the waves that smashed against them relentlessly through the night. A crash earlier had startled her, but she didn't check - and the quiet after seemed to warn her off a change of heart.

There was an uneasiness there, and as her eyes laid on the docks of the Earth Kingdom, as wide and looming as the starry sky it stood under, she took her breath.

* * *

As they approached, the chatter and laughter of Earth Kingdom sailors reaching their ears, Zuko emerged, a large rucksack heaved on his back. "We need disguises," he said.

He was met with a flurry of movement: Haru reached for his hood as Duke tucked his hair under a gigantic, floppy hat. Sokka took out a fake moustache and beard from his pocket and delicately stuck it to his face, adding a slight twist at the ends satisfyingly. Teo hid his black mop under a fluffy blonde wig he'd once found (Toph had mercilessly bullied him for days, but truth be told - he kinda liked it.) Toph wrapped herself in a satin robe, her unseeing eyes shrouded in shadow.

Katara was in the midst of letting her own hair down to cover her face when she caught Zuko's watchful eye. "What? What's wrong?" she asked him.

He glanced at Toph as he spoke, shrugging softly. "Just...keep close."

The waterbender opened her mouth to press him further, but was cut off by the sudden jerk of the ship creaking to a halt.

"Here she comes!" a voice bellowed beneath them. They scurried to grab their belongings as a metal ramp connected to the deck with a resonating clink. Zuko went first, tucked away in his own black hood. The others followed closely behind, careful not to look up in fear of eye contact with an unwanted stranger. Katara couldn't help herself. A glance and she had to quickly muffle her gasp.

In all the times travelling to the Earth Kingdom, they had always avoided the main square of the docks, preferring to lurk near the edges until they were well out of range. She had known the Fire Nation had renovated the place, but here, she was finally experiencing the full glory.

Enveloped by an orchestra of voices, footsteps, workers bustling away, she couldn't decide where to look. A patchwork of vast metal ships and hundreds of crates and merchandise, held together by the seams of sailors, scurrying around as they laughed and argued and instructed. Lights dazed her from all ends, arrogant and loud, demanding her attention. Above, below, to her sides. Welcome to the Earth Kingdom, they said, mockingly. It's too late to turn back now.

So captivated by her surroundings, Katara almost collided with Haru before she caught herself. They had stopped, for some reason. Stopped here, in the middle of the crowd?

"Psst. What's going on?" Katara hissed at the earthbender, craning her neck around to see what was happening.

"Zuko's gone to talk to the captain of the ship we just used," he whispered back at her. "Some sort of debt-settling. He told us not move."

What? Here? Now? Glancing over their heads, she caught a sight of Zuko with a tall, slender man, their heads bent in intense discussion. From the distance, she could see a distinct scowl etched on the firebender's face, whilst the older man smirked softly at him.

"Let's hope Sparky knows what he's doing," Toph muttered, shifting in agitation from foot to foot. "We don't exactly blend in."

Even behind the disguises, Katara felt vulnerable. She started picking out the nearest escape points, should they be recognised. There, between the two carts, where two young girls were standing. Not too many people there and the girls looked hardly threatening. It would be easier to push through and head straight for the bushes. That's a good exit too, next to the loaded crates. Toph could tip that over and delay anyone that was chasing them, even for a brief moment. Water was all around them, which was brilliant. She could flood the whole area and freeze everyone, if needed. Or how about -

"We need to go. Now."

Zuko didn't need to tell them twice. The group moved straight through the swarming centre, dodging trolleys here and men there, pointedly staring ahead. No one seemed to notice them, or cared enough to do so.

At last, they found a quiet alleyway adjacent to the docks, where the only other company was that of a straggly cat with one eye. The darkness provided a welcome cover, and everyone visibly relaxed at the familiarity of shadows.

"Well that went smoothly," Teo said, brightly, fixing his wig. "Sure is lucky we have you, Zuko. How'd you know that guy, anyway?"

Everyone's attention shifted to the firebender, who started to turn bright red. "We...had a run-in a few months ago. I did him a favour, and he owed me. End of story," he muttered curtly. "Now, we _really _need to get a move on. I know there's a couple ostrich horses back here we can use to get us to Mosho City - Katara, are you paying attention?"

Her eyes were transfixed. Zuko's "friend" had just sauntered over to the two young girls by the crates, only a few metres away, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. Under any circumstances, this shouldn't have struck her the way it had - but there was something in the smoothness of his step, the stiffness of the girls' bodies, the way everyone in the vicinity averted their eyes, seemingly finding themselves needed elsewhere, anywhere but here.

A hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we really need to go," Sokka said, gently, his eyes searching. "What's the matter?"

She twitched under his fingers, a frown on her lips. Something felt very _wrong_ about the ship captain. Katara watched as he raised a hand and casually stroked the arm of one of the girls, moving closer and closer as he did so.

"Katara." A sharp tug and suddenly, she was staring into a pair of yellow eyes, hard as how her heart felt. "We're leaving. Right now."

She could hear Duke questioning Toph in a hushed whisper behind Zuko as she turned and faced the firebender head-on. "No," Katara said, firmly. "I think those girls need help-"

"Katara," he said again, a little harsher. "Not now. We need to keep moving."

"Can't you see how uncomfortable they are?"

"If you go out there, you'll blow our cover," Zuko hissed. "He's notorious around here - you get in his way, I can't help you. He's settled his debt, so if he sees me, he'll have us_ all _arrested. Let this one go, Katara, you can't save everyone."

She opened her mouth to argue, but was shocked at the gentle tug of Haru, pleading with her to listen. Glancing at everyone's faces, her heart sank when she realised she was fighting a losing battle. The world slowed until time stopped, freezing her in the moment. Taking a breath, she calmed the rising anger, finally raising her eyes, vicious as blades.

"So that's it? You're all turning a blind eye?" Katara growled at everyone. "Good to know we're standing up for the common folk."

"Look," Toph interjected, albeit hesitantly. "I don't feel right about leaving them either - but we need to think about the greater good. Aang needs us now. We have to help him first and we're no use to him if we're in a cell, too."

But when did we stop helping the people who needed us most?

Refusing to reply, she pushing through them deeper into the alley. Katara tried to keep her face straight, but it crumpled when she thought no one could see.

Aang would have helped those girls. What would he have said to her walking away now?

She didn't want to think about it.

* * *

The light, bubbly smell of tulips and all things sweet hung in the air. Subtle and tangible, it danced through the delicate blades of grass, quivering where feet pounded through them.

"I can't believe it!" Aang exclaimed, colliding with the man in a tight embrace. A beat later, he came to his senses and stepped back to bow respectfully, gazing up at his old mentor's face with affection and longing. "I should have known you'd be here! I would have found you sooner!"

Gyatso gave the airbender a benign smile. "Well, you've found me now," he said with a wink, returning the bow.

"Aang!"

Roku's voice broke his reverie, and Aang whipped around with a grin on his face. "Isn't this great?" he told the other man, "With both of you here, I'll find Wan in no time!" It had been a while since he'd felt this elated, this hopeful. Katara is going to love this when she hears about it!

The old Avatar did not smile back. His body tensed, and a fire seemed to erupt in his eyes. "Aang, come over here," he said firmly. "This isn't who you think it is."

"I assure you, Avatar Roku," Gyatso replied calmly, "I am no danger. I simply heard Aang's voice and couldn't help myself! I had to see him!" He gave a small chuckle.

"You aren't fooling anyone," the other man said through gritted teeth. "Aang, I insist. You cannot fall for this treachery. Impersonating a loved one is the oldest trick in the book."

Treachery? Impersonating? Aang turned back and scrutinised the monk's face. How could it not be Gyatso? He had the same kind face, the promise of a laugh on his lips. Why, that air of wisdom and...and..._familiarity_ just emanated off of him. Roku was probably as surprised as he was. Paranoid, is all. Aang reminded himself that it had been a while since Roku had seen the old airbender as well.

Shaking his head, he said, "Don't worry. I'd recognise Gyatso anywhere! This is really him!" He beamed at the monk. "Boy, do I have a lot to tell you! So much has happened!"

His mentor grasped by the shoulder and indicated towards the open field. "Then why don't we have a chat, you and I? I'm sure a few minutes of your time won't matter too much for an old friend?" His smile was bright.

Aang glanced at Roku, who gave him a distinct shake of his head. "There is no time to lose," the firebender declared, "We really must keep moving. Remember Yue's warning. These Dark Spirits will only delay you-"

"Really, Roku, must you always be so serious!" remarked Gyatso in exasperation. "I simply ask for a few moments with the boy. Is that so unreasonable?" He looked at Aang. "What do you think? Rest a little before your big journey?"

That was all the Avatar needed. "Just a moment won't hurt, will it?" They began walking towards to a shaded spot under a large, yellow leaf-tree. "I'll be right back!" Aang called out to Roku.

He missed the disappointed sigh and the soft mutter of, "I warned you."

* * *

Zuko sighed with relief when they turned the corner and - sure enough - three ostrich horses were nuzzling a barrel full of food. The night had already exhausted him and he wasn't sure if he could deal with a hitch at this moment.

"Wait, don't they belong to someone?" whispered Sokka, eyeing the rope tied around their necks. "I really don't think they're just up for grabs."

"You got a better idea?" Zuko replied with a raised eyebrow. "Because if we walk, we sure as hell won't reach the city by daybreak."

The other boy shrugged and leaped over the fence lightly. Clearly his guilt was crippling him.

"Wonderful - we're robbing a family as well? Gee, I wonder who else has to suffer because His Mightiness doesn't want to waste time."

Zuko suppressed a groan. She had pointedly refused to speak to all of them as they roamed the area looking for transport, but it looked like the blissful silence was only fleeting. Katara was eyeing him from the back with disdain. He ignored her.

"Right, let's go," he instructed, following the Water Tribe boy into the courtyard where the ostrich horses were standing. "Sokka and I will take one each. Haru, you have the other one. Pair up, everybody." He turned away when a clearing of a throat stopped him.

"Uh, Zuko?" Teo said, idly. "I mean, it's nice of you not to blatantly point it out and I really don't mean to be disrespectful and hold everyone up but, uh-"

"He can't ride," Toph put in bluntly. "because there's nowhere to put his wheelchair. So think of a new plan, Sparky, or we're walking."

Damn, he should have thought about that.

He opened his mouth but a high-pitched voice was heard instead.

"There's a cart over there. We can attach it to one of the ostrich horses and he can ride behind us," remarked Katara, walking past them. Teo beamed at her.

"Exactly what I was going to say," Zuko added, nodding. He pretended not to hear the scoff behind him.

They set about untying the animals and preparing the cart discreetly to avoid detection. Leading the ostrich horses by hand, they moved into the alleyway where they could speak freely and load their belongings. Katara was reluctant in the beginning, but gave in when she realised she didn't have much of a choice.

Sokka checked the security of the cart and helped Haru move Teo, before clambering onto the animal himself. "Duke, you should probably come with me," he said, "I don't want to place any more weight on this little guy and you're the lightest. Hop on." He jerked his thumb behind him.

"Katara, why don't you come with me?" Haru asked, brightly. Behind him, Toph rolled her eyes and made a face, which Teo made giggle softly. "If you want, of course," he added after.

The waterbender shrugged and nodded. Zuko raised an eyebrow at Toph, and indicated with his hand towards the last ostrich horse, before realising she couldn't exactly see it. "After you."

"What a gentleman," came the curt reply, "Now help me up."

* * *

"You should have seen Toph's face when I beat her in rock-sliding. Boy, I almost thought she'd cause an earthquake!"

Gyatso laughed once more, wiping away a tear. "Oh, Aang. I always knew earthbending would get you into all kinds of trouble! What a teacher you have!"

Aang grinned. He was having the time of his life! Here, in this world of spirits and harmony, with his old mentor and friend. It was almost too easy to just sit here forever, telling one another stories.

"Yeah, Toph is pretty great," the Avatar remarked, fondly. His smile faded a little. He'd give anything to know how she was at that moment. Which meant...

He sighed softly. "Gyatso, I really loved talking to you and it's been great to catch up - but I really should get going. Roku's probably been waiting for me for ages now and I can't keep him for any longer." He moved to stand up, but was stopped by a hand around his wrist.

"Oh Aang, you worry too much!" the monk said, with a gentle tug. "I'll help you find the First Avatar. I know this world well! So sit with me a little longer. Who knows when we'll see each other again?" He gave him a sad smile.

Aang was torn. "But...I guess...I really should..."

"Have you been penguin sledding recently?"

The Avatar settled himself down and began his tirade.

* * *

They travelled through the night, under a winking sky that seemed to move with the landscape, a dark miasma of forest and wastelands. He almost hated the silence amongst them - it only made the echoes in his heart and head that much louder. That much more unbearable -

_He was desperate._

_He was hiding from Azula. He didn't want to get involved. It wasn't his business. _

_But he was desperate. _

_Find the ship captain, they said. He's good with his word, they said. Give him what he wants, and he'll give you what you want, anytime, any place. _

_But what does he want? _

_The prettiest of presents, they said._

They began to see changes. An odd house here and there grew to a small neighbourhood, which grew into a small city of clustered buildings and uneven roads. There were few lights here, with the occasional passerby eyeing them distrustfully from a shadowed corner. Fire Nation guards usually patrolled the city, but Zuko had timed their arrival between shifts, in the rare few minutes before rounds began once more. There wasn't a moment to lose. Dawn was but a couple hours away, yet the night never felt so bleak, so creeping. Zuko shook off the uneasiness and pushed forward.

At last, they were here. A modest, dingy house with blackened, cracked windows. Moss and vines thrived across its walls and the squeak of rats declared that vermin do not care for the presence of royalty in its midst. Zuko dropped down from his ostrich horse and helped Toph to the ground as the others pulled to a stop behind them.

"And you complained about the Western Air Temple when you'd been staying in _this?_" Katara exclaimed incredulously when she saw the place. "It's far worse than what we were living in!"

He gave her a raised eyebrow. "I didn't have three years to decorate, unfortunately. Too busy trying to figure out how to save the world." He suppressed a chuckle at her dark expression, fishing for keys in his tunic.

"As long as it means we're safe, I'd even sleep with the badgermoles," muttered Sokka, lifting Teo's wheelchair off the cart.

Toph scoffed. "You say it like it's bad thing. What's better than falling asleep to the sweet, sweet smell of mud and earthy goodness?" She gave a satisfied sigh.

"Literally, anything else."

"Come on, quit dawdling, all of you. Get the ostrich horses out back and keep them out of sight, then hurry in. We've only got a few hours of rest before we move out again."

The ride had exhausted everyone, and no one could be bothered to argue with Zuko at that moment. He left them alone to sort themselves out, ignoring the niceties of a tour of the house. They could find a place to sleep without him. Instead, he went straight to his makeshift study, upstairs in the largest room.

The walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of scrolls, maps, notes - anything and everything he could get his hands on about the White Lotus. The maps were laden with pins and strings, marking the last known activities, attempts at trying to track down an organisation as fleeting as hope. The scrolls and notes were scribbled with his findings and thoughts - more often than not, bits of information he would recall from a random conversation with an uncle he hadn't seen in so long. Clues. There were so many, and he cursed his younger self for never listening hard enough.

He'd find Uncle again. That much Zuko had promised himself.

_The prettiest of presents. A pretty thing of dreams and innocence; untouched and unbroken. _

_He found it. Hidden away in a tavern, waiting tables. A pretty thing of wide lips and bright eyes. She laughed at his jokes and blushed at his winks, never recognising the scars across his face. Innocence can make any monster into a man. I have a place to show you, he had said. Why don't you come with me tonight and see it? _

_And she did come because she trusted the boy with the damaged face but the charming smile. _

_A mistake. But he didn't have a choice. He was desperate._

Immersed in his thoughts, Zuko almost didn't realise the knock on his door until it rapped for a fifth time. "Come in," he said, clearing his head.

He cocked his eyebrow when he saw Katara cross the threshold, her eyes roving around his collection.

"Wow," she breathed, gazing at the papers sprawled across the room. "You've really been working hard on this, haven't you?"

Zuko shrugged. "It's only the world at stake, after all." He watched her warily. Dawn was beginning to creep through the window, and fatigue clawed at his eyelids but he couldn't afford sleep just yet. He quietly prayed this wouldn't take long. "Can I help you with something?" he asked, shortly.

Katara gritted her teeth, took a breath, and finally gushed out with: "I could have saved those girls if you'd helped me. How could you turn everyone against me like that?"

This was why he didn't believe in any gods.

Rubbing a tired hand across his face, he sighed and looked up at her from his chair behind the desk. "I thought I made it clear we would have been caught. Why are you still harping me about this? What's done is done."

"You don't know that! You're just _assuming _because you didn't want to take the risk!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "And I'm _harping _you about this, Zuko, because I need to know how human you are if I'm going to cooperate with you!"

He scoffed. "How _human_ I am? Don't be ridiculous."

"Zuko, saving the world is more than just saving the Avatar," Katara managed in frustration. "It's helping the people who need us, and turning our backs on them kind of defeats the purpose of trying to be heroes." She folded her arms and glared at him.

A beat. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she shifted under his stare. "Tell me, O Righteous One, what exactly would you have done to that captain?" he asked, quietly.

She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Knock him out, I suppose."

"Oh, but he'd just wake up and carry on with other girls. Be honest, what were you thinking of doing with him?"

Katara's hands fell to her side, and he saw them clench and unclench. "I'd teach him a lesson, threaten him -"

"Like he's going to be afraid of some empty threats. No, tell me what you were really thinking -"

"I-I'd have made sure he couldn't hurt anyone again-"

"How? Were you going to kill him? Because that's the only way to stop people like him-"

"I...maybe, I think - "

"What was that? I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that. _Maybe__? _So you had no idea what you wanted to do -"

"No, I didn't!" Katara yelled, angrily, pushing herself away from the wall she was leaning against. "Is that what you wanted to hear? I didn't have a plan, and I didn't want to kill him. Happy?"

The room fell into silence. Zuko half expected her brother to come storming in with blades and glory, raising all kinds of hell at the racket. But he heard nothing. Nothing but a small sniff as Katara furiously wiped her eyes away, breathing heavily. He regarded her coolly.

"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me," the firebender stated simply, "Or a man so vile he deserves nothing but death. You're not a killer, Katara -"

"- you don't know that -"

"I do." His voice was firm and unwavering. She needed to hear it. "Not everyone is born with murder in their veins. Consider yourself lucky."

She scoffed at his words, blinking furiously. "Lucky that I'm weak? That I can't protect people who need me?"

"Lucky that you'll never know what it's like to take another life." Zuko stood up and walked around the desk, fingering the parchments pinned on the wall, his eyes faraway. "It's almost beautiful, in a way. The power. You hold their future, their past, everything they were and everything they could be. It's all in your control. It's so easy to succumb to that kind of drunk insanity."

He drifted, his thoughts taking him away from the conversation, the room, the house, the city.

"They belong to you, in a way nothing and no one can. Because when their heart stops beating, because you commanded it - they take something of you. Something you can't take back. Whether you were the one to twist the knife, or you pulled the strings to have someone twist it for you - either way, a part of you leaves with them."

_Knock, knock. _

_A pretty present for a pretty promise. An offering for a favour. Anytime, any place._

_She went inside. She didn't come out again. _

_He was hiding from Azula. He didn't want to get involved. It wasn't his business._

_He was desperate._

"And you belong to them. And they never leave you. Sometimes you see their faces in the shadows. Mocking. Taunting. Flaunting that part of your soul. Always. There's no escape."

"What did you do, Zuko?"

He snapped out of his reverie to see Katara's horrified face. She had backed away from him to the furthest corner, a hand halfway raised between them. There was a mix of fear and disgust in her eyes, and he turned away then, blinking away the nightmare.

Cool. Calm. Composed. "I think you should get some sleep," he said monotonously. He could feel her agonise over pushing him for more details or leaving blissfully ignorant, and he knew which one she'd choose.

The door slamming shut echoed for moments after. He pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes until he saw stars.

Until he saw the faces again.

* * *

"What a peculiar animal! Just a bear, you say?"

"Just a bear! Isn't that amazing? And he juggles!"

"Truly incredible!"

Aang chuckled to himself, shaking his head. The leaf-trees were gently swaying in the wind, and a sudden gust sent a shiver down his spine. A thought burst into his head, and he stopped laughing. What was he doing? The world needed him!

Leaping up quickly, he turned to the older monk. "It's been great seeing you, Gyatso - but I really, _really _have to leave now. I promise I'll find you again when this is all over!" Spinning around, he was about to sprint away when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Aang, please, I insist. You have a long journey, you really do need to rest!"

The Avatar shrugged and smiled at his mentor. "I think I'm pretty energetic now, thanks! I'll see you later - "

The hand on his shoulder tightened almost painfully and something felt _very, very __wrong. _"Aang, there are great perils ahead of you. Please, take a moment here where you'll be safe. With me. Don't you want to spend time with your old friend?"

That's when Aang looked.

Really, _really _looked.

He looked into those warm brown eyes and saw...nothing. A pit, as endless and soulless as the chaos it created itself from. It threatened to swallow him where he stood and the realisation of what had just happened sent his heart into a frenzy.

Roku was right.

Pushing himself away, Aang made a dash towards the clearing where he prayed the old Avatar still waited. He had to get away. Get away before -

Gyatso - or whoever or whatever he was - stepped around a tree and blocked his path.

"Is that anyway to say goodbye?" he (it) asked softly, a smile on its face. The teeth were growing longer and sharper and _hungrier. _

A stab of fear surged through the Avatar (_I'vefailedagain) _before it pounced.

* * *

_Your thoughts, as always, are much appreciated. _


End file.
